Article
Article
Muon-catalyzed fusion
Article By:
Cohen, James S. Formerly, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Last reviewed:June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.439450
A technology for producing nuclear fusion at temperatures far below those associated with thermonuclear reactions, based on the replacement of electrons in deuterium–tritium fuel with more massive muons. As an approach to producing power from nuclear fusion, muon-catalyzed fusion is not currently practical because muon production is an energy-intensive process as well as other considerations. Nevertheless, it remains interesting to physicists because it would theoretically enable nuclear fusion at room temperatures. Muon-catalyzed fusion is one of several nuclear fusion technologies under development, including magnetic confinement fusion and inertial confinement fusion. See also: Deuterium; Inertial confinement fusion; Lepton; Magnetic confinement fusion; Nuclear fusion; Tritium
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